Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This ordinance authorizes the transfer of $490,000 from the general fund to the specialty docket program. The Specialized Docket consists of five programs that address drug and alcohol addiction, heroin addiction, mental health issues, and the special needs of human trafficking victims and veterans.
The Court operates five specialized dockets, which have been certified or are in the process of receiving certification from the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Specialized Dockets. Each docket has received certification after submitting written materials and undergoing a site review to ensure that statewide minimum standards are met. The Specialized Dockets hold criminal offenders accountable while linking them with comprehensive treatment and services, which reduces recidivism and increases community safety.
In April 2004, the Mental Health Program was created to better serve criminal defendants who are impacted by severe mental illness and who have pending cases before the Court.
In 2009, the Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH) program was created to better serve criminal defendants who have been charged with misdemeanor solicitation, prostitution, and/or loitering to solicit. The docket also serves people convicted of other crimes that were committed while the participant was a victim of human trafficking. Participants may have severe depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental illnesses and may be dependent on alcohol and/or drugs. Because many of the participants have been the victims of human trafficking, CATCH focuses on the trauma experienced by participants.
In 2009, the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Program (ADAP) was created to better serve criminal defendants who are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol and who have pending legal issues before the Court. In 2010, the Opiate Extension Program (ADAP-OEP) was developed to accompany ADAP but address the needs of criminal defendants who are depende...
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